Culture conflict and self-identity

When I read "Legal Alien," I feel related to it because all of the problems that the author explained about I felt like I have gone through that in my life at one point or another. Writes by a Mexican-American woman named Pat Mora who is fluent in English and Spanish, "Legal Alien" is a free verse poem that explains about how the author is treated by other cultures because of her dual culture heritage. The author and the critics demonstrate how much it is difficult to deal with culture conflict and self-identity.

The critics also talk about the fact she has to be either an American or Mexican depending on her environment. Mora cannot be both Mexican and American together because the different cultures would not allow it.

I choose to talk about April Dawn Paris and Mermann-Jozwiak and Sullivan because I think that they explain the circumstances of this impasse very accurately. First topic describes how bi cultural people are effective and how loneliness they feel.

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April Dawn Paris is a freelance writer that works with literature and education materials. She goes into detail clarifying the poem of "Legal Alien" and demonstrate how it reflects what most people feel. She also explain how people are subjugated to being treated as outcasts to both sides. Mermann-Jozwiak and Sullivan on the other hand do not really talk about this subject in their interview. For them, not mentioning it probably mean that it is not as bad as what April Dawn Paris believes it to be.

They give more matter about the Spanish words in the poetry. In the story, Mora incorporated a verse, ""How's life?" to "Me'stan volviendo loca"", you are driving me crazy. She gave an example of her Hispanic values, the language, and little verses of how they define themselves. The article also states, "Mora has received numerous awards for her work including the National Endowment for an Arts Creative writing fellowship in poetry."

Still in the same topic, Dawn Paris does talk most about Culture Conflict while as Merman-Jozwiak and Sullivan demonstrate that the words of the poetry is the problem. April Dawn Paris talks about being bilingual and how the people who are part of the dual culture feel like they are outcasts and lonely as well as that they are hovering at the edges of both worlds. On the other side, Mermann-Jozwiak and Sullivan talk about a very different aspect of culture conflict.

One of the theme in this poem that really touch me was loneliness. Indeed, when the speaker says, "An American to Mexicans / a Mexican to Americans" (lines 14-15) she wants to shows how much she feels lonely. It is not because she does not have friends or acquaintances. It is because she feels like no one can understand. We all had felt those feelings before and can empathize with the speaker. Therefore, we have to take our masks off and let people in.

Mora is trying to find herself. She does not know where she belongs. She feels a discrimination from both cultures because she is an American citizen with a Mexican background. According to the article, Mexican and American war is what caused the present discrimination in Mora's life. Being fluent in both cultures, get her to be judged in her believes. People treat her like a stranger in both cultures. The article also mentioned the war between Mexico and America, and explained how because of it many conflict happened between Americans and Mexicans born in U.S soil. She is discriminated in her home country for not following all the same traditions and in the other hand; Mora was discriminated in the U.S for not being the normal "Caucasian".

I understand the feeling Mora could have because of experiences i've had to go through. Just like Mora, we've had to stay silent and take in any type of discrimination against us. We aren't taught to stand up for ourselves because ever since we were little our parents tried explaining to us that we were not in a land where we are accepted nor wanted. They gave the example of not defending ourselves because while we were growing up we saw them get discriminated and they just stayed silent. As said in the article "Not being seen the same and getting placed in a different spot for not meeting their expectations." It's a perfect example of the types of discriminations we are put through.